Alesha Ellis-Austin unbeaten in Chelmsford Ladies Knock Out Cup Final

Maldon are the 2023 Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Ladies Knock Out Cup Champions. However, their 3-2 victory over Chelmsford was extremely hard-fought with the hard-hitting Alesha Ellis-Austin winning both her singles. Alesha showed she meant business by beating Andrea Alleyne (11-7, 11-8, 11-3) in the opening encounter and in her second singles she scored a gem of a win, beating 2023 Chelmsford Ladies Singles Champion Dawn Baldry (9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 8-11, 14-12). It all came down to the doubles and Dawn and Andrea pulled through in five roller-coaster ends, against Alesha and Emily Guilloux (11-8, 12-14, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7).

First division Champions OCA A completed their Season in fine style with a 9-1 win over Chelmsford B. Brothers Mark and Matt Mulley were joined by Adam Buxton as OCA A produced yet another strong performance. Mark Mulley powered his way to three singles wins, beating Nikita Tkachuk (11-2, 11-8, 11-5), Wiktor Delimat (11-4, 11-7, 11-8) and Simon Jarvis (11-2, 11-5, 11-3).  Nikita Tkachuk gave a fantastic account of himself against Matt Mulley (27 wins out of 27 / 100 %) before succumbing (6-11, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11) whilst Simon Jarvis defeated Adam Buxton (8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7). With 16 wins from 18 games and 129 points out of a possible 180 points OCA A never came under any real pressure.  

Galleywood A, the division two winners also completed their fixtures with a 9-1 win, defeating Maldon A. They finished the Season with a massive total of 170 points out of 220 points with James Hicks and Peter Barrett both winning their three singles. The evergreen Steve Whiteley (Chelmsford Mens Singles Champion in 1974 and 1975) gave them lots to ponder missing out narrowly to James Hicks (11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 6-11, 9-11) and to James Mullane (5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-13). Hamish Innes beat James Mullane (16-14, 11-7, 11-7).

Danbury L finished second in division four with 129 points, just four points behind Buttsbury A. Danbury L beat OCA E 8-2 after Dave Powell had remained unbeaten. Powell was the best of the Danbury L players with 84 % whilst Jamie Elliott (Buttsbury A) with 89 % also enjoyed a magnificent Season. Fast improving Harrison Hill (97 %) (Chelmsford G) enjoyed an even better Season. Chelmsford G were without Harrison Hill in their last game against OCA F which they won 6-4. Omar Mohammad led the way with three wins, beating David Bishop (8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9), Stuart Wintle (11-3, 11-4,11-3) and Mike Morecroft (7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5). Danbury M led by a maximum return from Tim Pulham beat Galleywood C 6-4. Graham Naggs won twice which included a last gasp (11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 11-4, 12-10) victory over Steve Peacock.   

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) drew 5-5 with the higher placed Chelmsford J in division five. After leading 4-1 they might have expected more.  Douglas Bawuah won his three singles and Bobby Suthisa won twice. Jacqui Smith notched up two singles wins for the Chelmsford side including an impressive (11-9, 11-4, 11-6) success against Bobby Suthisa. Chelmsford J also beat Writtle F 9-1. James Grimston and Peter Davenport were both undefeated. Davenport had a close call against Jo Hart, finally winning (11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9). Buttsbury B (Charlie Ware, Oscar Hutt and Lucy Elliott) ran out 8-2 winners against Maldon C. Ella Sach defeated Charlie Ware (9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-13, 11-8) in a well contested last game.    

Chelmsford Tigers (eight wins out of eight and an all-conquering 35 points out of 40) were very comfortable winners of Junior division 2A. Pavanaj Srinavasmurthy (10 wins out of 10) completed an undefeated Season in their 4-1 win over runners-up Buttsbury Bears. It was a close call against Joseph Hutt and Pavanaj finally sneaked over the finish line (11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9). Joseph Hutt also had a monumental battle against Omar Mohammad and this time he won (6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10).  Danbury Dragons beat Buttsbury Bears, this time 5-0, with Alex Wilson and Oliver Martin carrying all before them. Alex Wilson came through a gruelling five ender against Joseph Hutt (this is a recurring theme if ever there was one), winning (12-10, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 11-8).

Junior division 2 B was much closer and a mere three points covered the top three teams. Chelmsford Cougars (with 23 points from seven games) are Champions and they beat Danbury Griffins (4-1) and Buttsbury Bulldogs (3-2). Joshua Freeman was undefeated against Danbury Griffins with wins over Oscar Wyman (11-6, 11-7, 11-4) and Peter Harverson (11-3, 11-9, 11-6) whilst Amir Chetittah won his two singles against Buttsbury Bulldogs beating Freya Hart (12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6) and Francesca Hart (7-11, 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7).

Chelmsford Jaguars (Zane Kwantreng, George Gregory, Paras Jinturkar and Grace Liu) have won Junior division 2 C with 33 points from eight games. They finished six points ahead of Buttsbury Beavers. In their last game Buttsbury Beavers beat Chelmsford Leopards (4-1) with Charlie Gould winning twice. Charlie Gould beat Theo Peiris 3-0 although his game against Ryan Peiris was a close one and he eventually won (7-11, 15-13, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7). There was a first defeat for Vivaan Babbar who lost to Ryan Peiris (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 9-11). Chelmsford Panthers came out on top 3-2 against Chelmsford Pumas. Harry Tarpletts beat Damon Chow (11-9, 11-6, 11-7) and Bernard Chow (11-2, 11-5, 11-2).  

Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League 

The battle to avoid relegation from the top division of the Burnham & District Table Tennis League really hotted up in April culminating in a final match of the season do-or-die escape to victory-esque thriller for Woodham B. 

Woodham B have been propping up Division 1 all season and have looked firm favourites to yoyo back down to Division 2 following their experimental year mixing it with the big boys.  They started off the month with a 7-3 loss to runners-up Cold Norton B and came away having played very well but thinking the 3 points might not be enough as they were still 5 points adrift of second bottom Stow Maries A and 12 points behind the next team Maldon A.  With all 3 teams in action across the final 3 matches of the season mathematically any of the 3 teams could still be relegated and the fat non-binary person still hadn’t sung their song!  So to the action – first up the ‘Live at the Smythe’ special as the bottom two teams met at Smythe Hall for a relegation six pointer.  Some of the table tennis on the night was of a tip top standard as Stow’s Gary Brignall and Woodham’s Sanjay Saptarshi battled for supremacy.  Brignall was on fire like you had never seen before – rumoured to have had not 3 but 4 Weetabix* that morning (*other breakfast cereals are available).  He dispatched the other Woodham players Trevor Collin and Eamonn Hall and saved Saptarshi for last.  Then overall match score was evenly poised at 3-3 after the first round of singles and the Stow pairing of Brignall and Ryan Pitt looked to have the better of Saptarshi & Hall in the early knockings of the key doubles match.  The order of play was key in this one and the match eventually went to 2-2 only for Hall & Saptarshi to finally get their noses in front and then finished off in style for the oh-so-important doubles bonus point.  In the final run-in Collin overcame Pete Layzell for a 5-3 lead to Woodham and then the sparks flew as Brignall and Saptarshi took to the Octagon for an all-out table tennis smashfest of the absolute highest order.  No initial nerves or cautiousness – just straight into it from the start.  The heat coming from the Brignall camp was evident as he blasted his way to an opening set 11-2 but then felt some of that backdraft as Saptarshi fought back for an 11-3 second set.  Brignall took a cagey 3^rd set and then steamed ahead in the 4^th and had at least 3 match points before finally succumbing 14-16 as Saptarshi somehow recovered from the precipice of defeat.  That effort and disappointment knocked the stuffing out of Brignall and a buoyed Saptarshi rattled off the final set for an overall commanding 6-3 lead for the Woodham boys.  Standing ovations around for both of these fighters!  Pitt overcame the dogged Hall for the final point of the match for an overall 6-4 victory to Woodham B. 

The previous result probably saved Maldon A any final match concerns as they took on Mapledene A at the Maldon Arena.  Mapledene A arrived with a slightly weaker than normal side but still had plenty in their locker to dispatch Maldon.  For Mapledene both John Monk and David Jacob won all their singles without much trouble, and Maldon’s only singles victory came courtesy of the returning lefty Jon Stokes who outlasted Keith Willet in a hard fought 5 setter.  However Maldon pair Steve Whiteley and Stokes were far too good for their opponents as they eased their way to a straight sets victory in the doubles giving them 2 points on the night and surely enough to ensure they were now safe.

So going into the final match of whole league season Woodham B found themselves 3 points adrift from Stow Maries A and 8 points adrift from Maldon A, and up against tough opponents Mapledene B who themselves could finish in 4^th place.  With a large crowd in attendance the final match got underway and Woodham captain Eamonn Hall kicked things off with an opening victory against an in-form Anthon Ranjit-Singh, and this was swiftly followed up when Woodham talisman Sanjay Saptarshi overcame the unique style of Colin Chatfield in a match that saw some tremendous rallies.  Mapledene fought back as the fearsome Keith Willett took a lively 5 setter against Dan Patynski, and Chatfield made amends for his earlier loss with a victory over Hall.  Patynski endured another 5 setter against the hard-hitting Ranjit-Singh but just pipped it at the death and then Willett smashed his way through the Saptarshi defence to level the match up at 3-3.  All very nail-biting for the Woodham crowd assembled behind the barriers.  Mapledene’s dynamic doubles duo of Chatfield and Willett were a class above the Woodham pair and won out comfortably to take a 4-3 lead going into the final stretch of matches.  Chatfield completed his excellent nights play with a tricky 5 set victory over Patynski and Willett triumphed in 4 sets against Hall to secure Mapledene’s victory on the night and 4^th place in the league overall.  So for Woodham B it all came down to the final game of the final match of the season.  By all accounts traffic had come to a standstill in both South Woodham and Stow Maries as the residents waited with baited breath for the outcome of this most anticipated encounter.  In the Blue corner Saptarshi – weighing in at 12 Stone 4lbs, ranked #24,  and his opponent from the Mapledene Academy in the red corner Anthon Ranjit-Singh – weighing in at 14 stone 6lbs, ranked #92 but with a far bigger reach!  Round 1 and Ranjit-Singh was off to a flier but Saptarshi came back and edged the opening round 11-9.  Ranjit-Singh fought back and took a comfortable 2^nd leg 11-7.  The third leg was cagey and at 8-8 could have gone either way.  Advantage Ranjit-Singh at 9-8 but then a couple of errors allowed Saptarshi back in and he took the 3^rd for a 2-1 lead.  With lots of fluids and biscuits being taken on board and the corners working hard on tactical changes the 4^th set started of a bit cagey but Saptarshi edged ahead with some trademark smashes at the end of some wonderful exchanges between these two warriors.  As we entered the business end of the leg Saptarshi pulled away and as he won out 11-6 the crowds erupted with a mixed sense of relief and joy.  So 6-4 to Mapledene B on the night, and a thoroughly deserved victory.  Mapledene B secure 4^th place in the league and Woodham B leapfrog Stow Maries A by a single point to come off the bottom of the table for the very first time all season and get to do it all again next season!

The rumour that Stow Maries Village has cancelled all Coronation events following this relegation saga can neither be confirmed nor denied.

Pic 1 – The final League table

Pic 2 – Mapledene’s Captain Anton Ranjit-Singh in action

Pic 3 – Gary Brignall versus Sanjay Saptarshi in the showstopper

Pic 4 – Mapledene B’s Colin Chatfield and Keith Willett

Pic 5 – Woodham B, The Great Escape Artists – Hall, Saptarshi and Patynski

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Highwood B won four singles in the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League division five Knock Out Cup Final, and on most occasions that would have been sufficient for them to capture the title. Not this time. It was the doubles prowess of Highwood A’s Melanie Bonnett, Keith Fitz-John and Nicola Pippen which won the day. Keith Fitz-John / Nicola Pippen gave them a 1-0 lead by beating Roger Patient / Keith Pallett (11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-3) in the opening doubles and Melanie Bonnett / Keith Fitz-John defeated Roger Patient / Dave Cockrell (8-11, 11-6, 15-13, 11-9) in the middle encounter. With the scores tied at 4-4 and with everything to play for Melanie Bonnett / Nicola Pippen sealed the victory by defeating Dave Cockrell / Keith Pallett (11-4, 14-12, 11-5). 5-4 to Highwood A.  A strong Writtle A side (Duncan Taylor, Kevin Read and Lee McHugh) won the open Knock Out Cup. They beat Danbury A 5-2 in the Final. Eric Green scored an excellent (15-13, 7-11, 13-11, 11-5) win over Duncan Taylor but Writtle had sufficient strength in depth to withstand this.  Kevin Read won twice, beating Babul McLeod (11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8) and Bruce Kettle (5-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7). Lee McHugh secured the Writtle victory by beating Eric Green (11-9, 11-8, 12-10).

Chelmsford G, third in division four overcame second placed Danbury L 5-4 in the division four   Knock Out Cup Final. Outstanding prospect Harrison Hill won his two singles; no surprises there, he has a record of 97 % in the League. Alesha Ellis-Austin played her part by beating Rob Kneale (11-9, 11-9, 15-13) whilst Danbury kept their hopes alive in the middle doubles. Dave Powell / Rob Kneale got the better of Harrison Hill/ Alesha Ellis-Austin (12-10, 25-23, 11-5). The second game is the longest on record this Season in the Chelmsford League. It all came down to the final doubles and Alesha Ellis-Austin / Emilie Guilloux came out on top against Rob Kneale / Dave Goody (12-10, 12-10, 11-8).   

Second placed Danbury C signed off with a win in division one by beating Danbury B 8-2. Both teams fielded reserves and it was Trevor Lloyd who won his three singles for the C team. Good going as he had to play with a borrowed bat. Denis Crapnell, playing for Danbury C defeated Gus Heath (11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10).

Galleywood A (James Hicks, Peter Barrett and Gary Brignall) claimed the division two title in style. They powered home 10-0 against Chelmsford B. All three players have enjoyed magnificent Seasons. Their records speak for themselves. James Hicks – 93 %, Peter Barrett – 88 % and Gary Brignall – 77 % with support from James Mullane – 57 % and Ben Page – 52 %.  With one match left their points total of 161 points from 21 games is also very impressive. Danbury D finished second and they completed their Season with two 6-4 wins. They beat Maldon A with Sanjay Saptarshi leading the way with a hat-trick. Sanjay battled back from 2-0 down to beat Steve Whiteley (3-11, 8-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8). They also beat OCA A with Chris Buer standing in and winning his three singles. It’s relegation for Galleywood B who lost to the team immediately above them – Chelmsford C, 9-1. Robert Shrimpton and Victor Chan were both undefeated. Shrimpton completed his trio of wins by beating John Holland (11-9, 9-11,  11-6, 8-11, 12-10).  Writtle B completed the Season strongly by beating Danbury E 7-3, and they finished above their opponents on games countback with both teams tied on 106 points.  Richard Storey and Paul Sturton were both undefeated. Richard Storey defeated Tim Cramphorn (7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 13-11) in the closest game of the evening. Hatfield Peverel A also completed their Season with a win, beating Maldon A 6-4. No one player stayed undefeated but Martin Archie and Alastair Piper both won twice to give Hatfield Peverel the edge. Hamish Innes won twice for Maldon, missing out to Alistair Piper (10-12, 11-9, 3-11, 9-11). Maldon A beat Chelmsford C 6-4. Hamish Innes was undefeated, beating Mike Johnston (11-7, 11-7, 12-14, 11-8), Victor Chan (8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-6) and Dusan Doszkoty (9-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 12-10).

Danbury F, the division three Champions beat Maldon B (7-3) and Writtle D (8-2) to make it 17 wins out of 20 with just one defeat.  Gus Heath was undefeated in both games. They were a class apart all Season as can be seen by the records of their players – Chris Buer (93 %), Gus Heath (92 %), John Tendler (83 %) and Steve Buer (63 %). Danbury K finished second, and they beat OCA D 8-2. Denis Balic and Denis Crapnell were both undefeated.  Tom Barker was on target for the losers with a (11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8) win over Mervyn Perriman. Maldon B and Writtle E are relegated but both teams scored well for demoted sides.  Maldon B (74 points) drew with Danbury H. Newcomer Chris Ravenhill won twice and this included a (8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 14-12) win over Peter Hance. David Meah won his three singles and he beat Chris Ravenhill (9-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-8). Writtle E (76 points) finished their Season well after beating Chelmsford D (7-3). Neil Thompson was undefeated beating Joachin Mapes (9-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-6), Dave Parker (11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4) and Rev Matthews (9-11. 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5). Chelmsford F signed off with a 8-2 win over Maldon B. Dusan Doszkoty won his three singles. Maldon’s Andrea Alleyne fought back from 2-0 down to beat Andy Swales (10-12, 10-12, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6). David Meah finished his Season in style and he was undefeated as Danbury H beat Hatfield Peverel B 7-3. He had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Neil Freeman (11-4,8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10).      

Division four isn’t finished yet but Buttsbury A (126 points) are in the ascendancy with a five point lead over Danbury L.  The two teams met and the match finished tied at 5-5. Jamie Elliott (88 %) was undefeated notching up wins over Rob Kneale (11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4), Dave Powell (9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7) and Dave Goody (11-3, 11-3, 11-13, 11-8). Buttsbury A also did a “job” on fifth placed OCA E, winning 9-1. Jamie Elliott was joined by Alex Ware in winning his three singles.     

Highwood A and Highwood B have dominated division five this Season. Highwood A – Melanie Bonnett (83 %), Keith Fitz-John (75 %), Nicola Pippen (67 %) and Keith Pallett (39 %) finished five points ahead of Highwood B. Highwood B completed their programme by beating Galleywood D 9-1. Steve Peacock was target for the losers, beating Russell Downton (11-7, 11-8, 11-9). Danbury N who have finished third beat Hatfield Peverel F 7-3; Oliver Martin and Graham Naggs were both undefeated although Dave Benstead gave Oliver Martin a “scare” before he succumbed (11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 9-11, 9-11).  Hatfield Peverel E completed their Season in style, beating Writtle F 8-2. Davina Brazier and Phil West both bagged hat-tricks.

Buttsbury Bees did well to beat the higher placed Buttsbury Bears 3-2 in junior division 2A. Charlie Ware beat both Joseph Hutt (16-18, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6) and Lucy Elliott (11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 13-11). Chelmsford Lions and Danbury Dragons are level on 12 points and when the two teams met the Lions edged it 3-2. Atharv Gupta won twice, getting the better of Peter Harverson (11-7, 5-11, 17-15, 11-7) and Oliver Ware (11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11).

In junior division 2B top team Chelmsford Antelopes tasted defeat, losing 3-2 to Danbury Griffins. Ben Robinson won twice for the Antelopes but he missed out in the doubles. Peter Harverson and Oscar Wyman secured the victory (11-8, 11-5, 11-5) against Hugo Reed and Ben Robinson.

Junior division 2C Champions Chelmsford Jaguars made it seven wins out of seven by beating Chelmsford Leopards 4-1. Zane Kwantreng beat both Theo Peiris (12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8) and Sean Kwan (11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 11-4).   

 Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League

This week was all about the Team Handicap Cup in the Burnham & District Table Tennis League.  Semi-final stage and the drama, tears and cheers all came in abundance.  After the sporting action was completed we can reveal that this year’s Final will be between two very in form teams from different ends of the league spectrum which means plenty of fun and games with the handicap scoring sure to play a major role in the outcome.

Woodham D were recently crowned Division 3 runners-up following a great run of form in the final couple of months of the season and they can now add a cup final to their season’s achievements as they confidently defeated Mapledene C the Division 2 Champions.   Aptly it was Woodham’s Alex Wilson who won the important 5^th match against Richard Gill (-8) in their 5-1 victory.  Wilson won all his 3 matches on the night and made full use of his +15 handicap that no way reflects his current form but is set from earlier in the season.  Wilson was ably supported by Val Board (+6) and Joe Cooke (+6), with Mapledene’s single point coming from Andy Seaman (-8) who manged to peg back Cooke’s 14 point advantage to win in straight sets.

The second semi-final was an all Division 1 affair between Stow Maries A and confirmed league runners-up Cold Norton B.  With a heavier handicap to manage the Cold Norton trio needed patient and perseverance if they were to win this one.  It didn’t start that well as their opponents Stow Maries shocked the two top players from Cold Norton by taking the opening two singles in tight matches.  Firstly Richard Storey (-12) beat Eric Green (-16) in a tight one that went to 20-20 in the deciding third leg before Storey left Green feeling blue.  It was then the turn of the fast and furious Sam Phillips (-9) who squeezed passed Cold Norton’s top player Ian Wall (-18) 21-19 in both legs.  So when unexpectedly 2-1 down in a semi-final you look to your captain for inspiration and leadership, and boy did he deliver.  Stow’s Malcolm Storey (-1) had no answer to the defensive prowess of Cold Norton’s Dan Anderson (-12) as he comfortably evened up the match at 2-2.  Following the lead of their captain and talisman Cold Norton then dominated the rest of the match and it was left to Captain Fantastic Anderson to seal the victory with a comfortable straight sets win over Phillips.

So the final is Woodham D versus Cold Norton B – two very in form teams with significantly diverse handicaps.  Some of the matches will see a 30 point differential starting point in favour of the Division 3 side and this changes the psyche of the match.  Will the Cold Norton B trio continue to show the determination that has got them to the Final or will this be a handicap step too far?

Below right – Woodham D’s star player Alex Wilson

Below left – Captain Fantastic Dan Anderson of Cold Norton B

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We are drawing to the close of the Winter season for the Burnham & District Table Tennis League and we finally have the winners and runners-up in each division confirmed. 

The runaway Ist Division champions are Fambridge TTC but it took until this week to confirm Cold Norton B as runners-up for this season.  Cold Norton weren’t at the table this week but Mapledene A failed to return the 8 or more points required to keep the race alive going into the final games.  In fact Mapledene A only managed a draw away to Woodham A and even that took last gap victories in the final 3 matches as both David Jacob and Barrie Delf recovered from 5^th set match points against to eek out 2 last gasp victories to secure the draw.  Delf’s victory over Lee McHugh (pictured above) being the most noteworthy victory of the fun-filled evening.   Elsewhere in the top division Stow Maries A bagged 4 points against Maldon A which they hope will secure them top flight table tennis next season.  However the real developing story of that match was the inaugural Division 1 hat-trick for Maldon’s Harrison Hill.  Following Hill’s epic display at the recent Burnham Tournament it will surprise no-one within the sport but it does mark the first of what we expect to be many hat-tricks for this prodigious talent.  In the final encounter this week Duncan Taylor shone brightly with an unblemished hat-trick for his Cold Norton A side but this was not enough to stave off defeat as opponents Mapledene B took home the spoils 6-4, with 2 wins a piece for Keith Willett and Colin Chatfield, and a final match of the night victory for Anthon Ranjit-Singh over Steve Maltby despite having lost to him twice in recent weeks.

In the two horse race for the Division 2 title things couldn’t have gone more tangential for our two runners.  Top seeds Mapledene C showed no nerves as they approached the final furlong as they completely dispatched Cold Norton D to the cleaners in an emphatic 10-0 trouncing.  Hat-tricks all round for Mapledene trio Andy Seaman, Mick Tappenden and Barrie Delf.  Maldon B needed to match or better Mapledene’s result to stay in the running but succumbed heavily in an 8-2 loss away to Stow Maries B.  Stow’s power house Nicky Reece-Ford blasted all before him for a superb hat-trick and was ably supported by his trusty wingmen Peter Hance and Tony Forster who both won 2 singles.  For Maldon only Colin Napper appeared on the scoresheet with wins over both Forster and Hance.  In the Blackwater A v B derby nether team secured the bragging rights as they played out an honourable draw, although the B team’s Neil Thompson was seen skipping home clutching his well-earned first hat-trick of the season.  Maldon C’s talisman Steve Aspland was at it again this week as he raced through the Woodham C card to secure his 6^th hat-trick on the bounce – what a season he has had.  Unfortunately for Maldon C they were a man down and Woodham were able to secure all the remaining points for a comfortable 7-3 victory to finish off their season.

Division 3 is now complete and with Stow Maries D already confirmed as champions it came down to the final matches to sort out the runner-up spot.  Coincidentally both of the key matches were taking place on courts next to each other at West Maldon Community Centre so with each game completed the league abacus was adjusted to show the real-time situation.  Woodham D started the night a point behind Blackwater D so were eager to make a good start to erase that gap.  No nerves on display as they raced to a 5-0 lead over opponents Blackwater E.  On the other table Blackwater D had a more tricky time of it as they took on the plucky Blackwater C trio.  A reasonable start but they were only 3-2 up after 5 games and were now trailing Woodham D.  Both teams lost the 6th match so it was now down to the final 3 matches of the season and the odds were now stacked in favour of Woodham.  For Blackwater D they won 2 of the last 3 with none of their players able to get passed the impressive James Brooks from the C team, but Woodham casually strolled through their final matches, winning all 3 for a 9-1 victory and the coveted runner-up spot.  Hat-tricks for the Woodham dynamic duo of Joe Cooke and Alex Wilson.  Blackwater D won out 6-4 for third spot but the win did mean they had more victories than Woodham D over the season – possibly scant consolation as your rivals celebrate across the barriers.

Pictured below

Harrison Hill of Maldon A Steve Aspland – Maldon C Joe Cooke – Woodham D

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The 2022/3 Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Season is fast approaching it’s end.  Some teams have completed their fixtures. Division one Champions OCA A recorded two 6-4 wins. In both cases that was despite being a player short. Mark Mulley and Paul Lucas came out on top against Danbury B where the standout result was the fine (13-11, 11-7, 11-9) win for Sam Lowman over Paul Lucas. OCA A also beat Writtle A 6-4 and 2003 Chelmsford Mens Singles Champion Keiran Lally (was it really that long ago ?) impressed in his fourth appearance of the Season. He defeated Duncan Taylor in five ends (6-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7).   An undefeated Sam Lowman was again the top player when Danbury B beat Chelmsford B 7-3. He beat Simon Jarvis in five games (11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 8-11, 11-5). Reserve Gus Heath made his mark with an excellent (11-7, 11-5, 11-7) victory over Wiktor Delimat. Danbury A came out on top 6-4 against Chelmsford A, good going as Harry Chivers was unbeaten for Chelmsford. Harry had to work hard for his three wins. Harry defeated Babul McLeod (12-10, 13-11, 11-7), Eric Green (10-12, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6, 11-8) and Dave Richardson (11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 13-11).

Division two leaders Galleywood A (Ben Page, Peter Barrett and James Hicks) produced a masterful performance to beat OCA B 10-0, a result that gives them an 11 point lead over Danbury D with two matches left. Ben Page excelled. He beat Charles Yeung (11-6, 11-13, 11-7, 11-9), Kevin Worthington (11-2, 11-9, 3-11, 6-11, 11-7) and Robbie Burton (11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-4).  Writtle B ran out 9-1 winners over OCA C. Richard Storey and Phil Smith were both undefeated although the scoreline was “hard” on the OCA team who lost six games in the fifth end. Richard Storey gave Writtle a winning start by beating Mick Richardson (9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5) in the first game. Chelmsford D did well to beat Hatfield Peverel A 7-3. Adi Kamma excelled and his red-hot hat-trick included wins over Alastair Piper (11-9, 11-9, 11-1), Julie Johnson (11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6) and Gareth Davies (11-13, 11-4, 11-5, 11-2). It was honours even between Galleywood B and Danbury E. No one player remained undefeated and Danbury E won the three five setters. Tim Cramphorn got the better of John Holland (11-4, 13-11, 2-11, 7-11, 11-9).

Second-placed Danbury G completed their division three fixtures with a 6-4 win against Writtle E but Danbury K who trail them by two points with a game left to play can overtake them. Ken Sheard and Peter Lucraft both won twice and Lucraft came closest to annexing a hat-trick. He just missed out against Malcolm Storey (5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 10-12). Danbury K won 10-0, beating a depleted Maldon B – just Brian Riedling on this occasion. Mervyn Perriman had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Brian Riedling (9-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 13-11). Champions Danbury F were 6-4 winners over OCA D;  Gus Heath and Steve Buer were both undefeated. Gus Heath was tested by Tom Barker before he edged home (10-12, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9). Connor Payne won his three singles as Hatfield Peverel B defeated Chelmsford E 6-4. Payne completed his hat-trick of wins by getting the better of James Grimston (12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11). In another 6-4 result Chelmsford F beat Danbury H. Andy Swales, Dusan Doszkoty and Waseem Qureshi all won twice. Andy Swales sealed the Chelmsford victory by getting the better of John Robinson (11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8) in the last game of the night.   

Division four is far from completed. Danbury L lead the way with 116 points although Buttsbury A only trail them by four points with a game in hand. Danbury L ran out 7-3 winners over Hatfield Peverel C. Teamwork ruled, in this case two wins for Rob Kneale, Dave Goody and Alan Dadswell which enabled them to suppress the three wins that Connor Payne scored for the Hatfield Peverel side. Buttsbury A beat Chelmsford H 6-4; their leading player – Jamie Elliott (86 %) was again undefeated with Cleon Fernandes winning twice for the Chelmsford side. Buttsbury A did even better against a two man OCA E and they won 8-2. Jamie Elliott was again undefeated whilst Farooq Ahmed won twice for the old Chelmsfordians side. This included a last gasp (12-10, 11-3, 5-11, 8-11, 16-14) victory over Alex Ware. The experienced Colin Blore was unbeaten in Galleywood C’s 7-3 victory over OCA F whilst Hatfield Peverel D did well to draw with third placed Chelmsford G (who were admittedly without their leading player – Harrison Hill). Neil Wood was undefeated for the Hatfield Peverel side.  

Highwood A returned to pole position in division five. Nicola Pippen was undefeated in their 7-3 win over Danbury N. She beat Graham Naggs (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6); good going as Naggs had defeated Melanie Bonnett (11-9, 11-6, 11-4).  Buttsbury B – nine wins out of 18 were 7-3 winners over Writtle F. Steve Webster gave them the edge and he remains undefeated (nine wins out of nine).  Anglia Ruskin University also won 7-3. Bobby Sutthisa, Ifeani Edeh and Douglas Bawuah all won twice, although they all missed out against Marty Englander. It was touch and go before Englander got the better of Ifeani Edeh (5-11, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11, 11-8). Chelmsford J were 6-4 winners over Hatfield Peverel F. Peter Davenport led the way with three victories. Hatfield Peverel E also won, and they ran out 9-1 winners over a two man Galleywood D, their seventh success of the Season. Kath Little and Phil West carried all before them.  

Chelmsford Tigers lead the way in Junior division 2A. They recorded win number seven by beating  Danbury Dragons 4-1. Omar Mohammad was undefeated whilst Sami Osman won one, only missing  out to Alex Wilson (11-13, 4-11, 14-12, 11-8, 9-11).

Buttsbury Bulldogs beat Danbury Griffins 3-2 in Junior division 2B. Francesca Hart and Freya Hart both won once to nullify the two victories of Peter Haverson.   

The top two teams both won 5-0 in Junior division 2C.  Runaway leaders Chelmsford Jaguars (George Gregory and Paras Jinturkar) beat Chelmsford Pumas whilst second placed Buttsbury Beavers (Vivaan Babbar and Jago Ware) also defeated Chelmsford Pumas 5-0. Chelmsford Panthers beat Chelmsford Leopards 4-1; Harry Tarplett was undefeated whilst  Sean Kwan was on target for the losers with a (11-6, 11-5, 11-7) victory over Max Locke-Wheaton.   

Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League

What an evening of sport we witnessed this week as the Burnham Table Tennis Championships came to a dramatic conclusion at Champions Manor Hall in South Woodham.  With 11 of the Championship events already decided over the preceding weekend it was down to the final 5 prestigious events.  7 extremely close encounters with such a variety of styles on show, with no straight sets victories and 4 of the matches going all the way to a deciding 5^th set.  The seeding committee had done an excellent job so far as barring the Veterans Final all the top seeds had made it through to the final stages – but would they successfully predict the winners, and if so would there be a need for future tournaments to establish who really are the best of the best?

The Mens singles semi-finals opened the show and in the first shock of the night top seed Duncan Taylor was eliminated by the excellent and patient Reece Seddon.  Taylor took the first cagey leg but then was unable to dominate the match from behind the table as Seddon controlled everything thrown at him and whipped in plenty of winners to upset the seedings apple cart.  Up next was second seed Keith Adams and he got off to an horrendous start as opponent Kevin Read quickly established a 2-0 lead with a series of rolling loops that Adams struggled to control.  Adams had a polite word with himself and came out seemingly much more focussed in leg 3.  This added steel cut out some of his lazier errors from the opening legs and he began to wear down the Read offence.  This pattern continued for the final 3 legs as Adams took control of the match and finished out 6,7,6 to secure his place in the Final.

And so to the first final of the evening – the Mixed Doubles featuring the two top seeded pairings of the holders Duncan Taylor & Andrea Alleyne, and the new kids on the block Lee McHugh & Lin Roff.  In a cagey opening both pairs took a leg each and then the fireworks happened as the 4 players started to open up with forehand and backhand smashes that created a much faster game.  In the third game it was nip and tuck all the way and despite McHugh & Roff having game point as McHugh hit several forehand winners, it was Taylor & Alleyne that eventually won out 13-11.  McHugh & Roff took control of the 4^th leg and had a mid-match 3 point cushion that should have seen them take the match to a concluding set.  Unfortunately for them a few errors crept in and the top seeds squared up and then had match point at 10-9, before McHugh & Roff had game point at 11-10.  3 points later and Taylor & Alleyne had retained their crown.  Worthy Champions.

Next up was the Veterans Singles Final (players over 40) and was featuring top seed Duncan Taylor and his doubles partner Kevin Read who was seeded 3 and had knocked out 2^nd seed Keith Adams in the semi-final.  This was a really strange match where the power switched from player to player several times.  Of course they know each other’s game inside out so we had lots of long technical rallies where each of the apex predators were just waiting to pounce on the slightest error.  The Ist leg saw Read leading all the way until crunch time when Taylor dragged his way back into contention and surprisingly took the first leg 11-9.  The rollercoaster 2^nd leg saw Read take an early 5-1 lead only to see Taylor switch back on and take it to game point at 10-9.  Taylor couldn’t kill the game and Read fought back to win out 13-11.  The dramatic 3^rd set saw Read collapse and Taylor storm into an 8-0 lead that anyone watching thought would be the start of the finish.  But oh no, Read fought back and it was time for the Taylor game to fall apart to such a state that Read got to match point at 10-9 and then finished off at 12-10 – a remarkable end of table tennis.  That loss seemed to empty the Taylor tank and spur on Read and the 4^th set was over pretty quickly with Read taking it 11-5 to secure the Keith Pitt Cup.

After a short interval we were back on court for the Ladies Singles Final (pictured above).  The two top seeds had emerged from the pack and were ready to do battle.  Top seed Dawn Baldry was looking a bit nervy but got off to a good start and was ahead throughout the first leg until at 9-8 down second seed Lin Roff won a string of points and took the Ist leg at the death.  The next two legs went one a-piece for Roff to take a 2-1 lead into the 4^th leg.  Roff stormed to an early lead giving herself a 5pt advantage that should have been enough to secure the title but Baldry kept going and was forcing some errors but still faced her first match point against at 9-10 down.  What should have been the crowning moment was delayed as Roff hit 3 errors on the bounce to take the game into a deciding set.  The 5^th set was a cagey affair as no-one opened up a lead and the players traded shots.  We got to 2-2 and 9-9 in the match with Roff serving to take back her title. The next point saw an exchange of smashes before Baldry hit a forehand cross court winner….  Well normally a ‘winner’ but Roff had taken up a perfect position and hit back using the pace created by Baldry’s smash to counterblock passed her flailing opponent.  Appreciative applause all round.  Roff took the final point to secure the Ladies Title.  What a battle it was.

Our penultimate final this year was the eagerly anticipated Mens Doubles Final featuring top seeds Kevin Read & Duncan Taylor taking on the challenge of second seeds Keith Adams & Lee McHugh.  All have featured so far so were warmed up nicely for this hotly contested war of attrition.  The first four sets came out at 2-2 and went in sequence per the face off positions.  Adams & McHugh were ahead both times but struggled to get anywhere near their opponents in the intervening matches which went 2 & 3.  So the final set and the score at the changing point were all important.  Adams & McHugh turned at 5-3, perhaps not as big a gap as they wanted but an excellent restart quickly pushed that up to 7-3 with McHugh blasting the last one passed Read.  After that it was a cagey pushy affair as Adams & McHugh maintained a lead 8-5, then 10-6, until at 10-8 Read pushed into the net for an Adams & McHugh inaugural victory.

And so to the main event – the Mens Singles Final 2023 betwixt Reece Seddon (pictured below) and Keith Adams – a match up that would grace any Essex Singles tournament final.  Boy this one did not disappoint with Adams edging a cagey opening set and then Seddon fighting back in an extraordinary second leg where he raced into a 6-0 lead with some aggressive and accurate loops and punchy backhands but was pegged back again and again by a defiant under the cosh Adams who saved 5 game points before succumbing at the 6^th attempt for a Seddon 14-12 leg.  Time for Seddon to push on you would think but that proved difficult as he found himself down 0-8 in very quick time and eventually lost out 1-11 to a very determined and more aggressive Adams – and even the 1 Seddon point came from an Adams foul serve! Time to regroup.  The 4^th leg had Seddon ahead all the way as he played much deeper and forced the tiring Adams, who was playing close to the table, into some uncharacteristic errors.  Seddon had 2 game points at 10-8 but it took until 12-10 to tie up the match at 2-2.  So into a final set of what had been an enthralling rollercoaster of a Final so far.  Adams started off the better establishing a 2 point lead early doors only for Seddon and his oh-so-accurate backhand to fight back and actually turn ends at 5-4 up.  After that Seddon was never behind although we did get to 7-7 but then he had 3 Championship points at 10-7 and secured the title at the second attempt for a 3-2 victory (-8,12,-1,10,8).  A truly excellent final, and a very worthy winner.

League Chairman and Tournament Organiser Alan Dadswell deserves great credit for all his efforts in putting together both the weekend tournament and the Finals Night.

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OCA C produced a strong performance in division two of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League to beat Galleywood B 8-2, a result that sees Galleywood B enter the relegation zone. OCA B’s top player Mick Richardson was joined by League Chairman David Porter in staying undefeated. It was a good night for David Porter who beat Mark Glenister (11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9), Colin Blore (9-11, 12-10, 11-6, 13-11) and Will Goodchild (11-8, 11-7, 11-7). Leaders Galleywood A stay top and they beat Writtle C 8-2 after a hard-fought match where five games were decided deep in the fifth end. Peter Barrett and Gary Brignall were both undefeated. Whereas Peter Barrett scored three 3-0 wins Brignall had to dig deep. Very deep. He beat John Webber (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9) and Gary Ward (9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10). Hatfield Peverel A also won 8-2. They overcame OCA B with Martin Archie leading the way a hat-trick. Archie had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Robbie Burton (7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 14-12).  Maldon A won twice. Hamish Innes was undefeated as they beat Danbury E 6-4 and he gave his team a winning start with a last gasp (9-11, 3-11, 14-12, 11-9, 12-10) victory over Dick Wyman. Maldon A did even better against Writtle B and won 8-2. Steve Whiteley and Lloyd Bennett-Smith both scored hat-tricks. Maldon again made a winning start and this time Steve Whiteley beat Matthew Brown (15-17, 12-14, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8) in a very well contested opening singles.

Team-work was the order of the day in division one where Danbury A produced a fine performance to beat Writtle A 7-3. Bruce Kettle, Chris Penrose and Babul McLeod all won twice although they all missed out against ace defender Duncan Taylor. The masterful Taylor completed his hat-trick by beating Chris Penrose (11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 12-10) in his third singles. It wasn’t Lee McHugh’s night and he lost his third singles of the evening after a real tussle against Bruce Kettle (5-11, 13-15, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11).

Further news involving Chelmsford’s leading players came from the Braintree Closed tournament where Danbury’s Paul Davison secured a Mens Singles / Veterans Singles double. OCA’s Paul Lucas was the beaten finalist on both occasions. Lee McHugh and Alistair Hill (another formed Chelmsford League regular) were the losing semi-finalists in the Mens Singles.  Consolation for Paul Lucas and Lee McHugh was found in the Mens Doubles where they were crowned Champions. Keith Martin and Victor Chan (again, both are very well known to Chelmsford League players) were runners-up.  

Danbury G stay second in division three with 106 points but Danbury K (100 points) have a game in hand. Both teams won this week. Danbury G (Ken Sheard, Robert Kneale and Alan Scammell) relied on team-work (two wins all round) as they beat Hatfield Peverel B 6-4. Robert Kneale did well to get the better of Neil Freeman (11-6, 11-4, 11-9). Danbury K went “one better” and they beat Danbury H 7-3. Denis Crapnell was undefeated whilst Danbury H’s Dave Meah notched up a roller-coaster (4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9) success against Denis Balic. OCA D ran out 6-4 winners against Writtle D. Richard Baxter and Tom Barker were both undefeated. Richard Baxter’s win over Malcolm Henstock (6-11, 17-19, 11-7, 11-9, 13-11) looks to have been a real struggle.  It was “honours even” between Chelmsford E and Chelmsford F. Waseem Qureshi was undefeated for the F team and this included a surprisingly comfortable (11-5, 11-2, 11-8) victory over Aidan Lees. With a record of 88 % 2023 Chelmsford Under 15s Singles Champion Aidan Lees has enjoyed an otherwise superb season.    

Danbury L scored two emphatic wins in division four to restore their lead at the top of the table. Dave Goody, Rob Kneale and Dave Powell beat Danbury N 10-0 whilst Richard Allen replaced Rob Kneale as they repeated the feat against OCA F. They lead the way with 109 points although Buttsbury A (106 points) have a game in hand. Chelmsford G stay third and Harrison Hill (97 %  and counting) defeated Galleywood C 8-2. Harrison Hill beat Colin Blore, the best of the Galleywood players (11-7, 11-4, 11-9) as he was again undefeated. Galleywood’s Nathan Blore was unlucky to draw a blank. He lost (9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11) to Pavanaj Srinavasmurthy and (13-11, 11-6, 4-11, 3-11, 8-11) to Alesha Ellis-Austin. Chelmsford H beat Hatfield Peverel D 8-2. Cleon Fernandes and Felix Reeve were both undefeated. Five games were decided deep in the fifth end. Felix Reeve had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Deb Ginn (12-14, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8).

It wasn’t a good week for the top two teams in division five. Leaders Highwood B were held to a draw by third placed Danbury N. Roger Patient (94 %) held the Highwood team together although he had to work hard to get the better of Graham Naggs (8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6). Second placed Highwood A missed out 6-4 against Chelmsford J. With James Grimston beating Melanie Bonnett (7-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-4) in the opening singles Highwood B were always “chasing the game” and Grimston went on to complete his hat-trick. Jason Clark secured a vital (6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 14-12) victory over Keith Pallett.  Maldon C (Ross Wheeler, Marty Englander and Kym Eames) ran out 8-2 winners against Writtle F. Marty Englander was undefeated whilst Ron Tam won twice for the Writtle side.

Leaders Chelmsford Tigers made it six wins out of six (27 points out of 30) in junior division  2A by beating Chelmsford Lions 5-0. Pavanaj Srinavsamurthy and Harel Choo were both undefeated and they also beat Buttsbury Bees 5-0. Brothers Sami Osman and Omar Mohammad carried all before them on this occasion. Danbury Dragons beat the higher placed Buttsbury Bears 4-1. Oliver Martin won his two singles for the Dragons whilst Charlie Ware was on target for Buttsbury. He beat Oliver Ware (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13, 11-6).     

Buttsbury Bats scored their first win of the Season in junior division 2B. They beat Chelmsford Cougars 4-1 with Will Fullerton and Lewis Woods both playing their part.

Highwood B (Roger Patient, Dace Cockrell and Russell Downton) are through to the division five Knock Out Cup Final. They beat Buttsbury B 5-3 after a very hard-fought game. The deciding game was a real battle, and Roger Patient defeated Ben Brown (11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 13-11). What a deciding game. A battle worthy of deciding any Knock Out Cup Semi-Final.

Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League